Fast Food Workers Will Protest Again Today

posted by KTRH’s Cliff Saunders
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2 years ago

It’s happening again. Fast food workers around the country say they will strike and protest today in order to get a raise to $15 an hour. However, unlike previous protests, this time they are planning something a bit different.

Past protests haven't had much of an impact, but this time around organizers say they are training protesters to use civil disobedience.

“That suggests they will do something more than just picketing. They might violate local laws that would otherwise prohibit them from impeding traffic. In other words, they might block entrances,” South Texas College of Law professor Richard Carlson said.

Carlson, who specializes in labor law, says this could lead to some arrests. Past protests here in Houston haven't caused many problems, and Carlson says it's because workers are older than they used to be a few years ago. He also says some of them may not be here legally.

“Some of them might not be authorized to work here. If that is true, they feel as though they are especially susceptible to retaliation,” Carlson explained. “That’s why the union’s tactic here might be to take stronger action on their behalf. It’s hard to organize these workers while they are feeling vulnerable.”

KTRH made repeated attempts to contact the people organizing these strikes. All they would tell us were that something was planned for today here in Houston, but they wouldn't give us any specific information.